Prayers and Meditations — §519

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 519 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

اعِ، أَسْئَلُكَ يا خالِقَ الأُمَمِ وَمُحْيِيَ الرِّمَمِ بِأَنْ تُؤَيِّدَ عِبادَكَ عَلَى عِرفانِ مَظْهَرِ ذاتِكَ وَمَطْلَعِ قَيُّومِيَّتِكَ لِيُكَسِّرُوا بِقُدْرَتِكَ أَصْنامَ الهَوى وَيَدْخُلُوا فِي ظِلِّ رَحْمَتِكَ ال

Shoghi Effendi Translation

I beseech Thee, O Thou the Shaper of all the nations and the Quickener of every moldering bone, to graciously enable Thy servants to recognize Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Revealer of Thy transcendent might, that they may cut down, by Thy power, all the idols of their corrupt inclinations, and enter beneath the shadow of Thine all-encompassing mercy, which, by virtue of Thy name, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, hath surpassed the entire creation.

Translation Notes

اعِ،

d-ʿ-w

literal: call; invitation; claim

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I beseech Thee”

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

يا

y-ʾ → “O ye”

literal: O; or

خالِقَ

kh-l-q → “Thy creatures” Distinctive

literal: character; moral traits; disposition; conduct

الأُمَمِ

ʾ-m-m → “of all the nations”

literal: mother; to lead; to head; matter; affair; people; nation; community; female servant; handmaiden; umma

وَمُحْيِيَ

ḥ-y-y → “life”

literal: greeting; salutation; tribute; to make alive; to revive

الرِّمَمِ

r-m-m → “of every moldering bone”

literal: decayed bones; decayed, moldering; bones

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تُؤَيِّدَ

ʾ-y-d

literal: to grant; to give; to bestow; to support, aid

عِبادَكَ

ʿ-b-d → “Thy servants”

literal: servant; slave; worshipper

عَلَى

ʿ-l-w → “to”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

عِرفانِ

ʿ-r-f → “recognize”

literal: to confess; to acknowledge; to recognize

مَظْهَرِ

ẓ-h-r → “Manifestation”

literal: manifestation; appearance; to appear; to manifest

ذاتِكَ

dh-w-t → “of Thy Self”

literal: essence; self; being

وَمَطْلَعِ

ṭ-l-ʿ → “and the Revealer” Distinctive

literal: rising; appearance; countenance; manifestation

قَيُّومِيَّتِكَ

q-w-m → “people” Distinctive

literal: station; people; place

لِيُكَسِّرُوا

k-s-r → “degradation” Distinctive

literal: breaking; ravening; destructive

بِقُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “by Thy power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

أَصْنامَ

ṣ-n-m → “all the idols”

literal: idol; statue

الهَوى

h-w-y → “of their corrupt inclinations” Distinctive

literal: desire; vain desire; inclination; passion

وَيَدْخُلُوا

d-kh-l → “and enter”

literal: to enter; to admit; to bring in

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

ظِلِّ

ẓ-l-l → “shadow”

literal: to take shelter; to dwell in shadow

رَحْمَتِكَ

r-ḥ-m → “of Thine all-encompassing mercy”

literal: merciful, compassionate; pertaining to divine mercy

ال

ʾ-w-l

literal: first; beginning; family

Model Translations by Shoghi Effendi

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59 ¶